Many attempts have been made to utilize solar heated pools of water and other sources of heated liquids to drive mechanical apparatus. In general, thermodynamic motors of such type have not proven entirely satisfactory and are characterized by low power output and irregular rates of rotation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,509,716 teaches a thermodynamic motor which is adapted to use solar energy. Diagonally opposite pairs of tanks are interconnected by conduits to effect transfer of volatile liquid from the lower tank to the upper tank as a result of the heat energy supplied to the lower tanks by the pool water. The transfer of the volatile liquid effects rotation of the motor.
The invention of U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,653 relates to thermodynamic motors and to the conversion of a heat differential, produced by the evaporation of water or by the natural differential in the atmosphere, into usable energy and in particular to the generation of electricity.